Cities adopt general or comprehensive plans to articulate a vision that reflects the community’s aspirations; to establish a path forward as the community evolves, grows and changes over time; and sets policies that serve as the foundation for decision-making. 
The City of Bentonville has been operating from a General Plan prepared in 2000 and updated in 2007. The last 10 years of swift and significant growth in Bentonville have rendered the General Plan outdated. And, in 2015, the city hired Houseal Lavigne Associates to prepare a new Community Plan. Shelli Kerr, Planning Services Manager for the City of Bentonville, will discuss the concepts, policies and strategies that create the path to achieving the plan’s vision.